Christopher Michael Cheatham, 25, was arraigned Wednesday after, July 31, charged with killing Richard “Dick” Fortune, 71, who was found dead during a welfare check about 5:15 p.m. Feb. 20 in his home in the 2600 block of Lillian Road.

(UPDATED: 6:50 p.m., Aug. 1. An earlier version of this story had an inaccuracy regarding Cheatham living with Fortune at the time of his death. It has since been corrected to reflect Cheatham was one of several tenants living with the victim.)

ANN ARBOR, MI – A man suspected of killing a 71-year-old retired U.S. postal worker five months ago has been charged and arraigned for murder.

Christopher Michael Cheatham was arraigned Wednesday afternoon, July 31, and charged with killing Richard “Dick” Fortune, who was found dead during a welfare check about 5:15 p.m. Feb. 20 in his home in the 2600 block of Lillian Road.

Cheatham, 25, is charged with one felony count each of open murder, illegal use of a financial transaction device and three counts of stealing a financial transaction device.

He is also charged with two misdemeanor counts of receiving and concealing stolen property less than $200.

Cheatham was linked to Fortune’s death through both “biological evidence” found in Fortune’s bedroom and cell phone data recovered by police, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Nimish Ganatra said during the arraignment.

The additional charges stem from Cheatham being found with several stolen credit cards not associated with the homicide, Ann Arbor Police Lt. Amiee Metzer said. None of the stolen credit cards belonged to Fortune, she said.

Cheatham was one of several tenants living in Fortune’s home at the time of his death, Ganatra said.

Police again declined to say how Fortune died, but stated a report from the Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office would be released next week.

Cheatham is being held in the Washtenaw County Jail without bond. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference on Aug. 8 and preliminary examination on Aug. 15.

Outside of a minor drug possession charge and misdemeanor malicious destruction of property charge, both dismissed through deferred prosecution, Cheatham has no criminal record, officials said.

Open murder allows a jury to decide the degree of murder a person is guilty of if convicted.

The death of Fortune, a retired U.S. postal worker, shocked his neighbors. Members of the community expressed frustration with the lack of details police released about the death and an unrelated 12-hour police standoff nearby.